Adjustable labeling device



June 12, 1945. H, B, TUTHlLL Er AL 2,378,112 v ADJUSTABLE LABELING DEVICE Filed Jan. 13, 1944` Y 2 Sheets-Shee l Inu'enfors Aorhegl June l2, 1945. H.B. TUTHILL ETAL. 2,378.112

` ADJUSTABLE LABELING DEVICE Filed Jan. 13, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheer?. 2

Patented `lune 12, 1945 Rapids, Mich., assgnors to Oliver Machinery Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a limited partnership ofv Michigan Application January 1s, 1944, sea1N0..51s,o32

3 Claims.

' This invention relates to labeling, and is .primarily concerned with a simple, practicalv construction by means of which labels may be applied to wrapping paper or the like at different positions in the length of the paper which is afterward used for wrapping articles.

In practice a continuous length ofthe wrapping paper is drawn over a horizontal under support, labels attached to the paper at periodic intervals in its passage and the paper then cut transversely to provide sheets at a side of each of which a label is secured. The sheets'oi the proper length for the articles .whichthey are to wrap carry a label so that when the article is wrapped, the label having been previously applied to the paper used appears on vthe wrapped article. f

The paper prepared forwrapping the articles,` with diiferent sizes of articleswill have sheets cut therefrom of differentlengths, therefore it is necessary that the application of the label and its place of application on each of the several sheets shall be controlled in order that thev label shall properly appear on the wrapped article after it is wrapped. There are other circumstances in which a change in position ofthe label attaching mechanism with respect to the paper is desirable, and the present invention is directed to the adjustment and location of the label applying and attaching mechanism with reference to the paper to which the labels are applied and attached in order to control and properly attach the labels at desired positions in the lengthof the paper and with one label on each of the sheets cuttherefrom., v

An understanding of the invention. and embodiment thereof which has been produced will be understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section showing the adjustable label device of ourV invention, the section being .taken upon the plane of line I-I of Fig. 2. l

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectionlsubstantially on the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation with parts broken away illustrating the method of securing the labelattaching device at any posi tion to which adjusted, and,

Fig. 4 is a verticalsection of a detail of the structure substantially on the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different gures of the drawings.

. for the successive attachment of the labels to In the constructiongof the machine shown; an under support is provided having vertical spaced apart sides I (suitably connected together by crossmembers, some of which will be later described,'and between which the wrapping paper in a roll indicated at 2 is carriedon a horizontal inner core. roll Zand upwardly over a change direction idle roller 4 at one end of the machine and Athence horizontally over the upper side of the support. Itis drawn vbetween upper and lowerv rollers 4 and 5,1th'e detail of driving which is not of importancein the present invention. However the driving roller drives continuouslyufor a period of time and thenis stopped for a short interval;

duringwhich time 'the label is applied to the paper, the driving of theroller thereafter continung and with periodic stops in said driving the paper. After the` paper with a label attached to and over a receptacle 6 located between the 'sides i' and below their upper edges, and is severed at the rear edge of a cross bar l between the sides I by the downward passage of a cutting knife 8 carried by arms 9 which may bepivotally mounted at their opposite ends (not shown) and operated periodically'to cut the paper across, therebyj depositing successive sheets one` after another in the receptaclev 6. "Each kof the sheets when thus severed will have a label affixed to its upper side as. hereinafter outlined.l

. At the upper'edge of each of the sides I and at the inner sides thereof longitudinal bars l0 (Fig. 2)' are permanently secured which serve as supportingtracks'for the label attaching machine. Between thesides I a channel bar II having aplate I2 secured tothe upper side of the web of the channelbar is located longitudinally of the machine and is supported 'and held 'in a horizontal position at its rear end by cross `bar I3 extending between thev tracks vIll and secured thereto, and at its outer end by a diagonal brace bar I4 connected 'at,its upper end tothe channel Il and at its lower end to a cross frame bar I5 between the sides I.`

The label attaching device kis disposed over the upper side of the channel II and the ,plate I2 secured at the upper side of the channel. -It

includes a spool I6 on whicha continuous length of labels, Aindicated at L, is wound, said strip,

being carried over idle changedirection rollers I'I (Fig. 1) and thence varound a roller I8 ywhich has pairs of pins projecting therefrom for engagement in the side notches shown in the label Said paper 3is unwound fromjthe strip L, this properly locating the labels and, the roller I8 being driven, for drawing the strip of labels from the spool i6 on which the strip is wound. The label machine also includes a severing knife I9 for successively cutting from the lower end of the label strip end labels, indicated at Ll, and a heated sealing member which is brought down upon the upper side of an end label LI after it has been severed from the label strip and deposited on the paper. The under side of the end label L| which has been thus cut from the label strip carries a thermoplastic material which under the effect of the heat supplied softens and adheres to the paper. Any further detail of the construction and operation of the labeling machine is not required in the disclosure of the present invention. Reference may be made to Patent No. 2,326,436 granted August 10, 1943, for Label attaching machine upon the application of Harry F. Caldwell for details of construction and of the operation of the immediate label Vattaching mechanism.

The various parts of the vlabelmechan'ism mentioned are supported on a support 2| which at one d side has connected therewith a housing 22 (Fig.

2) the outer side 2 3 of which at its lower edge is formed with a shoe 24 which engages with and rests' upon one of the side tracks I0. A shaft 25 from the label mechanism extends to and over the opposite track IB and at its end carries a shoe 26 to move thereover. The labels LI severed from the label strip are deposited on the paper 3 directly over the upper plate i2 carried,by the channel member |l, said plate I2 and channel member forming a relatively narrow table against which the paper is pressed when the sealing of the label to the paper is done. VIt will be evident that the labeling device supported by and mounted upon the tracks I0 may be moved to "different positions on said tracks by merely sliding the shoes 24 and 26 thereover. When a desired position is reached the labeling device is releasably held in such position by amanually operable screw 21 which passes Vdownwardly vthrough the housing at'22 and'through a clip 28 (Fig. 3) 'which extends to oneside underneath the track IIJ with which the shoe 24- engages. A

The driving of the label mechanism 'is by a shaft 29 mounted at one end ina bearing on a side 23 of the housing, which 'shaft carries va sprocket around which 'anendless chain 3|J`pass'es. The chain 30 also passes'around a driving sprocket on a short shaft 3| which is mounted in a bearing at the lower end Vof a bar 32 which has a sleeve at its upper end 'through which the shaft 29 passes; 'ther'eforethe bar 32 is suspended from the shaft 29 and has a pivotal connection'thereto. Shaft 3| carries a second sprocket wheel 33 around which a driving chain 34 passes for driving Vthe shaft 3|, and thence through the chain.

3D, driving the shaft 29.

The shaft 3| extends at one end toward the adjacent side l of the under vsupport and is 'in engagement with theV inwardly 'extending leg of va length of angle bar 35 secured by welding or otherwise permanently at the inner side of said side l. Said end 'portion of the shaft 3| is drawn against 'said leg ofthe angle by the pull of the driving chain 34. In 'the movement of the labeling device to different positions-in the length of 4the tracks i0, said movement being a straight line movement in a horizontal direction, the shaft 3| will be moved vertically along the leg .of the angle 35 but will always be maintained in contact therewith.

The described construction is practical and simple for the attainment of the results and functions desired. By changing the position of the labeling device on the tracks ||l the relative position of the labels deposited on the paper is changed and desired location for the attachment of the labels to the paper within the llimits of adjustable movement of the labeling device may be had. With this construction there is no carryingA of the paper with an attached label around any roller or the like which when it occurs, as previously done, may at times cause a disengagement ofthe label from the paper; but the paper after the label is attached is carried in the same plane and with no bending of the paper and attached label around any roller or otherwise in changing direction of movement.

It is of course to be understood that this invention is not restricted to securing of labels to the paper at spaced intervals and thereafter the cutting of the paper transversely to provide wrapping sheets with labels attached. The paper with the labels successively attached at the desired intervals in the length may be carried directly into a wrapping machine to wrap articles, the paper used to wrap each article being severed `in the wrapping machine. ingly is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure and the uses thereof comprehended in the appended claims defining the invention.

We claim:

1. In a construction of the class described, a support over which paper is adapted to be drawn, a labeling mechanism thereover including means for feeding labels to said paper and successively severing end labels from a strip of labels to deposit said end labels on the paper at spaced distances in the length thereof, and further including means for securing the severed labels to the y paper, tracks for supporting the labeling mechanism on which said mechanism may be adjusted to different positions over the paper and said support therefor, and means for driving said labeling mechanism located underneath said support. j

2. A construction containing the elements in combination deiined in claim l, said means including a driven shaft connected with the labeling mechanism, a bar suspended from said shaft, a short shaft mbunted at the lower end of said bar, means for driving the first mentioned 'shaft from the short shaft, said shaft having a projecting end portion and a vertical member having a vertical face against which the projecting end of the shaft is held by the driving means therefor, said projecting end of the portion of the short shaft being adapted to move to different vertical positions against the face of said vertical member on adjustment of the labeling mechanism to different positions. l

3. A construction of the class described comprising a frame, means for feeding a continuous length of paper relative to said frame, means for periodically cutting said paper into predetermined lengths, a v labeling machine including means for periodically-attaching labels to said paper, said labeling machine being mounted on saidframe for adjustment longitudinally of said paper and relative to said cutting means.

HOWARD B. TUTHILL. HARRY F. CALDWELL.

The invention accord- 

